South Shields mum dies of 'broken heart' less than a month after 10-year-old son's death

The mum of tragic South Shields schoolboy Jak Fada has died less than a month after his death at the age of 10.

Ashley Tomlin, 32, suffered a ruptured heart artery - as Jak had done - and could not be saved by paramedics.

Left, Ashley Tomlin with grandfather James Tomlin and son Jak Fada. Right, Jak proudly wears his South Shields colours.

It is now being investigated whether they had a hereditary condition.

Ashley's dad Keith Tomlin - who also lost his father James Tomlin just a day before Jak's death - says his daughter "died of a broken heart".

Jak passed away on November 6, just hours after complaining of chest pains.

Now the family are trying to come to terms with a third unimaginable loss in just a month, with Ashley having died in the early hours of Monday morning while at home with mum Jill Tomlin in Westoe.

Keith said: "They had a quiet night in and it got to about midnight, when Ashley went to the bathroom.

"Jill heard a noise and when she went in, she found Ashley having a seizure.

"The paramedics couldn't pull her round.

"They think it was a massive heart attack, but I had my first meeting with the coroner on Tuesday and he told me he wishes they could put 'broken heart' on the death certificate, because that is basically what it was."

After Jak's death, housewife Ashley described her son as 'perfect in every way'.

The Westoe Crown Primary School pupil had been a huge fan of South Shields FC and was a keen football player himself.

His funeral service and wake were held at the club's Mariners Park home, with Ashley saying that is where his heart was.

Over recent days, according to Keith, she had started to move forward.

He added: "It was the same sort of thing as what happened with Jak, and it is such an incredibly difficult time for the family.

"She had just started to make plans to move forward after the tragic loss of Jak, and was the best she had been since he passed away.

"She had started to make steps to get through it with the help of her loved ones.

"Only two things are getting me through it.

"One is that my daughter's heart isn't broken any more, and the second is that I know she was going to get through it. Now I've got to do that for her."

Ashley, Keith and his ex-wife Jill were planning a family break to Dubai over the Christmas period as they tried to come to terms with the death of Jak.

Keith was in Baku, Azerbaijan, when he received the devastating news about his daughter.

He has now returned home to support his ex-wife after their worlds were turned upside down again.